Background Briefing has a new home at BackgroundBriefing.org.
Please visit and bookmark the new site. You can search show archives here.
2016 Programs
2016 Program Archive
February 16 - U.S. Stocks Rally While Europe Teeters; The .0000063% With Their SuperPACs Buy Our Elections; The U.N. General Assembly Vote Against Syria
|
|
LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM | |
|
|
With U.S. markets up today, we take a contrary look into the standoff between Greece and Germany over the Greek debt crisis and how a likely default will effect the big European banks and a European economy already in recession as a result of austerity measures. William K. Black, the former Litigation Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and author of “The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One” joins us to analyze the on-going inability of the Europeans to deal with the Euro crisis. |
 |
|
|
Then, if you thought the 99% - 1% divide was bad enough, how about the 99.0000037% versus the .0000063%. Joining us is Ari Berman, a contributing writer to The Nation and author of an article at Tom Dispatch and the Huffington Post “The .0000063% Election: How the Politics of the Super Rich Became American Politics”. We discuss how the super rich have taken over our politics in this election via the Super-PACs that now dominate campaigns. |
 |
|
|
Then finally we look into the overwhelming vote today in the U.N. General Assembly condemning the Syrian regime. James Gelvin, a specialist on Syria at UCLA joins us to assess whether the Assad family regime, with the help of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela, can kill enough Syrians to hold onto power, or whether the growing opposition inside the country will be able to fight back and turn the tables. |
 |
Tags:
February 15 - Obama Visits Walker's Wisconsin; No Enthusiasm in the U.S. Military For a War With Iran
|
|
LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM | |
|
|
We begin with President Obama’s trip today to Wisconsin and discuss the bellwether political battle shaping up in that state where Governor Walker, who is facing a recall, has declared that a win for him would deliver a “devastating blow” to Obama’s re-election campaign. John Nichols, The Nation magazine’s Washington correspondent joins us from Madison, Wisconsin. He is the author of a new book, just out, “Uprising: How Wisconsin Renewed the Politics of Protest, From Madison To Wall Street”. |
 |
|
|
Then, with tensions rising over assassinations by Iranian operatives and a cut-off of Iranian oil to European customers that drove oil up to $120 a barrel today, as well as President Ahmadinejad’s announcement of Iran’s rapid progress in nuclear enrichment, we discuss a lack of enthusiasm within the U.S. military for a war with Iran many in the top brass believe would be messy, bloody, unpredictable and ultimately inconclusive. A Quaker and former conscientious objector- turned war correspondent David Wood joins us. He has an article at The Huffington Post “Iran Nuclear Threat Brings No U.S. Enthusiasm For A Military Strike”. |
 |
February 14 - Senator Sanders on Saving the Post Office; Who is China's New Leader?; The Godfather of Nonviolence
|
|
LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM | |
|
|
We begin with Senator Bernie Sanders, the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history. He and 26 other Senators today called for a stop to the wholesale closing of rural post offices and for measures to preserve First Class mail and Saturday delivery. We also discuss the obscene amounts of Super PAC money flooding into this year’s election and what can be done to overturn Citizens United. |
 |
|
|
Then we get a reading on China’s next leader, Xi Jinping, who is visiting Washington as well as a broader assessment of China’s emerging role as a global superpower. One of the world’s foremost experts on China’s language, culture, politics and people, Perry Link, joins us to look into the current backlash from Arab countries, angry at China’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution aimed at stopping the Assad family dictatorship from killing the Syrian people. |
 |
|
|
Then finally, we speak with an extraordinary and humble man who has had a direct effect on nonviolent resistance tactics around the world from Serbia to Iran, to Egypt and Russia. The founder of the Albert Einstein Institution Gene Sharp joins us. He is the author of a new book, just out, “Sharp’s Dictionary of Power and Struggle: Language and Civil Resistance in Conflicts.” |
 |
Tags:
February 14 -
|
Full Program |
LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM | |
|
Part 1 |
We begin with Senator Bernie Sanders, the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history. He and 26 other Senators today called for a stop to the wholesale closing of rural post offices and for measures to preserve First Class mail and Saturday delivery. We also discuss the obscene amounts of Super PAC money flooding into this year’s election and what can be done to overturn Citizens United. |
|
|
Part 2 |
Then we get a reading on China’s next leader, Xi Jinping, who is visiting Washington as well as a broader assessment of China’s emerging role as a global superpower. One of the world’s foremost experts on China’s language, culture, politics and people, Perry Link, joins us to look into the current backlash from Arab countries, angry at China’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution aimed at stopping the Assad family dictatorship from killing the Syrian people. |
|
|
Part 3 |
Then finally, we speak with an extraordinary and humble man who has had a direct effect on nonviolent resistance tactics around the world from Serbia to Iran, to Egypt and Russia. The founder of the Albert Einstein Institution Gene Sharp joins us. He is the author of a new book, just out, “Sharp’s Dictionary of Power and Struggle: Language and Civil Resistance in Conflicts.” |
|
Tags:
February 13 - Obama's DOA 2013 Budget; Athens is Burning; Apple Hits $500 a Share on Cheap Labor
|
|
LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM | |
|
|
We begin with President Obama’s 2013 budget plan unveiled today and speak about it with Thomas Ferguson who is on the board of the Institute For New Economic Thinking and a contributing editor to The Nation. We discuss what is not an austerity budget, but one that calls for more taxes on the rich and therefore has no hope of Republican support, but yet might persuade American voters that it is the path back to economic health.
|
 |
|
|
Then, with Greece teetering on default as violent protests leave 45 buildings in Athens burning, we examine the latest round of austerity measures voted on by an unpopular parliament to ensure a second E.U. bailout. Costas Panayotokis, a Professor of Sociology at The City University of New York joins us to discuss how the devastated Greek economy can generate revenues and whether Greece’s creditors, the French and German banks, are prepared to take a 90% haircut.
|
 |
|
|
Then finally, on a day that an Apple share tops $500, we will look into working conditions in China where Apple’s products are assembled. Arun Gupta, the founding editor of the New York City based “Indypendent” newspaper joins us. He has an article at Alternet, “iEmpire: Apple’s Sordid Business Practices Are Even Worse Than You Think”. |
 |
Tags:
RSS Latest Radio Programs
Pacifica App